Harsh Endings, Sweet Beginnings
by magicmustache
Summary: After being broken up with, Bella loses hope for having a successful relationship. Can a chance encounter outside a bar fix that? Join Bella as she struggles to open up to Edward, as well as predicting Chicago weather. Rated M for language? All human.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **All character names belong to Stephenie Meyer. The Cheech is not my creation, it's Tre Cool's. Don't be offended by any universities I've picked...I just picked them.

"Please," I begged again. "Please don't do this."

He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

I walked over to him, grabbing his face between my hands. "Please. Just look at me." I begged, tears rolling down my cheeks.

He pushed my hands off of him roughly. "I don't want to look at you Bella!" he yelled, tugging at his hair.  
>"I can't even look at you."<p>

"Jake, please! I was drunk!" I sobbed.

He chuckled darkly. "You think that matters? You kissed Paul!" He walked towards the door, then turned to face me.  
>"You know what? You're pathetic Bella. I don't even know why I stayed with you for this long." He laughed bitterly. "Have you seen yourself? You're disgusting- fat and ugly. You're an annoying whore. You're nothing."<p>

He turned back around, slamming the door behind him. I stood there, stunned. I sank down to the floor, crying. Pathetic.  
>Disgusting. Fat. Ugly. Everything I had assumed about myself had been confirmed. I didn't mean anything to him; if I did,<br>he wouldn't have flung all my insecurities back in my face. He knew how they would eat me alive. He knew.

As my sobbing ceased, I got up off the floor and made my way into my bathroom. I leaned in towards the mirror and looked at myself. My eyes were red and puffy, I had snot dripping down my face, and my mascara had smeared. The longer I stared into the mirror, the more hollow I felt. A giant piece of me had just left, and I was aching. And then...nothing. I felt nothing.

3 months later...

"Gimme two Cheeches!" My bestfriend, Alice, demanded from the bartender whose back was towards us. No matter how hard I tried to get Alice to let me stay home tonight, she wouldn't budge. Now here we were, at the grand opening of some bar called Saddle. It was now July, and college kids were EVERYWHERE.

"In case you don't know, it's lemon juice wi-" she went on, talking to the man's back.

"With silver tequila." He turned around, handing us both a shot glass. "Here you are."

"Thanks," I said, tossing it back. I put my glass down and really looked at him for the first time, and boy did I look.  
>This guy was pretty good looking. He was tall, but not lanky, with a mop of blonde locks on his head, and gleaming blue eyes. I realized Alice hadn't said anything since he finished her sentence and I turned to face her. Her hazel eyes were wide as she ogled him openly. Not to my surprise, he was doing the same.<p>

Alice and I had been friends for maybe eleven years now? Growing up, she had always been the gorgeous one out of the two of us. She was short, and had a tiny frame due to all her running. She had nice cheek bones and full lips that were only accentuated by her short, spiky brown hair. I was always the "thick" one to say the least. I have wide hips, which now aren't as wide due to all of the running I've done in the past three months. My face was okay? I mean aside from the constant blushing, I thought I was fine. Prettier now than I've ever been though.

"So, Miss..." the bartender trailed off, scooting her glass a little closer to her. I settled myself onto a barstool, spinning my empty shot glass around.

Alice just stood there blinking. Was she... oh my god she was. Alice was being shy. Holy crap. I coughed, to get her attention. Nothing. I coughed a little louder. Still nothing. Well, here goes...something.

"_Ow!_ You bitch!" she hissed at me, checking her leg for a bruise from where I kicked her. She turned back to the bartender, grinning, all signs of shyness gone. "I'm Al-"

"Hey buttender- oh I mean BARtender!" a drunk girl wearing an FSU shirt shouted from the other end of the bar. "Lemme holla at a round of tequila!" she laughed, her words slurring together.

Mr. Bartender sighed, and pulled out a coffee mug. "Hold on, Gorgeous." He grabbed a coffee pot from under the counter and poured FSU a cup, then walked over to her.

Alice turned to me, bouncing on her toes. "Oh my god Bells!" she squealed, doing some kind of cabbage-patch dance. "I can't believe he's flirting with me!" she continued bouncing.

I snorted. "I can- have you seen those shorts you're wearing?" I laughed.

She stopped bouncing, flipping me off. "Bitch, you're wearing the same pair!" she resumed the bouncing.

I tugged on the short bastards. "You MADE me!"

She laughed, tossing back her Cheech. "Stop complaining- your ass looks fantastic, you need to show it off!"

I laughed. "As if. If it was, why aren't I getting hit on by cute guys? Hmm?"

She gave me a look. "You aren't getting hit on because all of them are pretty much Saddle-faced wasted."

Mr. Bartender came back before I could question her phrase, looking more annoyed than before.

"So where were we Gorgeous?" he asked, grinning at Alice.

She giggled. "I was going to say my name's Alice."

He stuck his hand out towards her. "Jasper Whitlock. Can I get you guys anything else to drink?" His eyes flicking to me, then back to Alice.

"Dirty martini?" She asked me. I nodded, tuning the two of them out while I looked around the bar. Just as I turned around in my stool, I saw FSU girl. Two of her friends were holding her up but she was still stumbling.

"You guys," she whined. "I think, I'm gonna h-" Then she lost it. All of it. Her drinks, her dinner, her dignity. Gone.

I quickly covered my nose and mouth with my hands and made my way to the exit. I couldn't stand the smell. I'm one of those people, where if they see someone puking or puke, they puke too. Hell no, I wasn't doing that here. Once I got to the door, I took a deep breath, inhaling the cool summer air in Chicago. I walked to the curb of the sidewalk and plopped myself down, pulling out my phone telling her I'd be staying outside til they cleaned up that chick's mess. I shoved my phone back in my pocket, covering my eyes and trying to steady my breathing.

"U of I, huh?" deep voice next to me asked.

I uncovered my eyes and glanced down at my shirt. Oh yeah. I then turned to face the stranger. _Holy hell_. This guy was hot. Like, cracking-eggs-and-frying-them-on-him-hot... okay, not literally, but yeah. He had five-o'clock shadow along his strong jaw line,a perfect nose, emerald eyes, and bronze hair. I smiled at him widely, silently hoping my ogling wasn't that obvious.

"Alumni actually," I felt my cheeks get warm. "I graduated last year."

He grinned. "I'd say awesome, but I hate U of I."

My jaw dropped, then I closed it, realizing something. "Michigan?"

"Hell yeah." he laughed. I narrowed my eyes at him. "Aw, c'mon beautiful, don't be bitter cause we kick your guys' ass in football."

"Yeah?" I asked him. "How's Notre Dame looking?"

He stopped laughing. "We don't speak of such things..." he trailed off.

I laughed at him now, stretching my legs out in front of me. I looked back at him and noticed his eyes lingering on my legs.I brought them in towards my chest. Maybe I had a bruise or something. Or worse...holy crap, maybe he noticed the stripe of hair on my leg that I missed this morning. Fuuuuuuuuccccc-

"Bella?" Alice called from the doorway of Saddle.

I turned around and waved my arm around so she'd notice me. She skipped over to the spot where Mystery Man and I were.

"Wanna head home?" She asked, biting her lip. She knew how sensitive I was to puke and blood.

"Nah, stay and have fun with Jasper." I said, waving her off.

She grinned and waved her iPhone 4G in my face, Jasper Whitlock being a new contact. Damn she moved fast. She turned and face Mystery Man, sticking her tiny hand out to him.

"Alice." she stated simply.

Mystery Man took hold of her hand and shook it gently, a smile on his face too. "Edward." He released her hand and turned it towards me. "We never really introduced ourselves Illini," He gave my hand a squeeze. "Nice to meet you though Bella," he said with a wink.

I felt my cheeks get warm again. "You too Edward." I stood up from my postion on the curb, and he followed.

"So, I'll see you around?" he asked, grinning.

"Hopefully- I mean shit. Fuck. Yeah..." I stuttered over my words. I was 98% sure I was beet red at this point. I grabbed Alice by the elbow and started tugging her in the direction of our apartment, which fourtunately was within walking distance.

"Bye Edward!" she called over her shoulder, waving back at him with the arm I wasn't holding hostage. She looked back at me and chuckled. "You're such a nerd Bells."

"Hey Alice?" I asked.

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

*Reviews and just comments in general would be greatly apprciated. It's my first story so...not really sure if I'm going about it the right way. Haha. Thanks!*


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** These characters don't belong to me, credits to Stephenie Meyer! Also, I don't know if a green tea chai flavor actually exists, it'd be pretty sweet if it did though...

_"I'm a Barbie girl-"_ click. I squeezed my eyes shut, and sat up slowly, my hand still on the snooze button of my iHome.  
>I swung my legs off the edge of my bed, blindly making my way to the bathroom Alice and I shared. I opened the door, steam hitting my face, while Alice's singing invaded my ears.<p>

"Morning, sleepy," she sang from the other side of the CTA L-map shower curtain we purchased at Bed Bath and Beyond a few weeks ago.

"Too much energy," I mumbled, squeezing toothpaste on my tooth brush.

She pulled the curtain aside, exposing her shampoo covered head to me. "I've got a hot date today."

I rolled my eyes at her, spitting into the sink. "Wanna share some of that luck you got, Leprechaun?"

She put her head back in the shower and laughed. "No need. You got a cutie yourself."

I splashed my face with cold water, then patted it dry on my towel. "Not exactly. I might never see him again."

I heard her sigh. "One of these days you'll realize being a pessimist will get you nowhere, Bella."

I shrugged, opening the door to the bathroom. "You want a green tea chai?" I asked, stepping out.

"Yeah, thanks chicky." She called out, as I closed the door and made my way to the kitchen.

I reached into the cabinet above the sink, pulling out Alice's box of green tea chai cup things. One of the many pluses of living with Alice, aside from her perky personality, were the gadgets her parents Carlisle and Esme insisted we needed for our new apartment. I popped one of the inserts into the Keurig they had given us and set Alice's Dr. Seuss mug underneath the spout, flipping the switch. I grabbed a glass from the cupboard, and opened the fridge to grab a lemon.  
>When I started my "Extreme Makeover: Bella edition", as I liked to call it, I had basically given up all beverages that weren't water in an effort to be healthier. The lemon was just for flavor. I grabbed Alice's mug from the machine just as it was finishing up, and set it down onto our dining tableisland.

"Thanks," Alice said, making her way into the kitchen, her hair and makeup done. How she did it so quickly, I don't know.  
>She picked up her mug and went towards the door, returning with the paper. I groaned as she plopped it down in front of me.<p>

She gave me a half-smile. "Sorry. I know this job hunting thing sucks."

I nodded, sipping my water. "I just can't find the right job for me."

It was true. I had tried McDonald's, but me, having such a sensitive stomach, basically lost my shit on the first day when Arnie, the manager, had assigned me to clean the men's restroom. I had tried Lush, the soap shop Alice worked at, but broke out in hives after touching one of the bath bombs. I tried being a waitress at IHop, but after dropping several plates and glasses they kindly asked me to leave before I hurt someone. I just sucked.

I turned to Alice after she gasped. "What?"

"Try Saddle! Jasper mentioned something about how they needed waitresses." She said excitedly.

"Alice, you know how uncoordinated I am- I'd probably break something again." I said grimly.

She waved me off. "Ihop was different! You're carrying what, like, one tray? Not five on one arm." She pouted at me. "C'mon Bella give it a chance."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "You just want me to get the job so you'd have an excuse to see Jasper all the time!"

She grinned, her perfect teeth looking whiter against her red lips. "Don't forget about your Mystery Man- he'll probably show up eventually." She glanced at the clock on the stove, and gulped down her tea. "Gotta go. I'm in charge of setting up the whole store today since Cristy's on medical leave." She slung her purse on her shoulder and picked her keys up off the key rack. "I'll try and find some positive smells that won't make you itch. See ya, good luck!" She closed the door behind her, and locked it.

I sighed, and picked up the newspaper, immediately flipping to the jobs section. Column, after column- nothing. I bit my bottom lip, thinking about what Alice had said. It couldn't be that bad right? Well, I'd have to explain to my manager my sensitivity to puke...I don't know. What if he/she won't hire me because they don't want their employees fleeing the bar when someone gets queasy? Yeah I'm fucked either way, might as well. I glanced at the clock; quarter to ten. The bar probably opened around twelve.

I threw the paper back onto the counter and went into the bathroom, determined to not look like a monster for the first interview I've had in a while. I let my hair down from the bun it was in, and started brushing through my long locks, cringing whenever I ran into a tangle. I decided to keep it down and just put on a red headband with a flower on the side of it. I put on some mascara and went to my room to pick out my clothes.

I found myself standing in front of my open closet, knawing on my lip. Fuck. What the hell am I supposed to wear to this kind of interview? I pulled out a low-cut, purple tank top Alice had given me for my birthday and pulled it on. Well it was okay? I mean there was a lot of cleavage, but that was good. Don't they want cleavage? Goddamnit this wasn't Hooters.  
>Several minutes, and a lot of grumbling later, I gave up. I pulled on a black tank top, jean shorts, and my black Chucks.<p>

I grabbed my bag and my keys and headed out the door. I stepped out of the apartment building and I swear I just got bitch slapped by nature. Holy friggin' hell it was hot. Everyone I saw was sweating. Girls were practically naked, as well as some old men. I have never seen so much gray chest hair in my life. Oh my god, that girl's ass is hanging out of her shorts! Oh dear, she was jiggling. Jiggling like Jello in a thong, what the fu-!

"oof." I said, as I ran into the back of some stranger. I felt my face turn red. "I'm so sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going, I was distracted and-" I stopped talking once I saw who it was.

"Emmett?" I asked incredulously, a smile forming on my face.

He was grinning like a mad man. "Hey Bells!" He said, strangling me in a bear hug. "How've you been?"

I breathed when he let me down. "Fine, I'm fine. Alice didn't tell me you were home!"

He chuckled. "Yeah, that little pixie sis I have doesn't know I'm back either. It was supposed to be a surprise, but ah well."

I glanced at my phone again. "Hey, I gotta run but you should totally come over later!" I started heading towards Saddle.  
>"Bring Rose too!" I called over my shoulder. "We'll get the Fantastic Four back together!"<p>

I heard him booming with laughter as I reached Saddle's door. I went inside and walked towards the bar.

"Hey, I heard there were some job openings here, I was wondering if you could..." I trailed off, as the bartender turned around to face me. Holy shit...

**EPOV**

"Jasper!" I hollered from the front door of the bar, balancing the 30 pack of Heineken on my shoulder, while I narrowly avoided clanging the two bottles of Smirnoff I was carrying in my other hand against the door frame.

"Yo," He said, wiping his hands on a towel and tossing it onto the bar counter when he saw my situation.

"Nah, I got this," I told him, rejecting his offer of taking the 30 pack from me. "There's more in the trunk, can you grab those?" He nodded, heading outside.

I made my way to the bar, setting the 30 pack and Smirnoff down on the counter and hopped over to the other side. I tore the box open and started piling the beers into the mini fridge behind the bar. Once I finished I took a break, looking at the place. The grand opening last night was awesome, well aside from the two puke messes. Yeah, Leah, my one waitress, never let me hear the end of that. Apparently after one girl, 'FSU bitch', Leah so graciously dubbed her,lost it, another girl did too. Thank god I didn't have to see that. I felt a smile stretch across my face, as I remembered my Illini girl. Bella. I repeated her name over and over in my head last night, so I wouldn't forget.  
>She was, easily, the prettiest girl I had ever seen. Nice, toned legs, great smile, and that blush. I shook my head, clearing my mind. I picked up the two Smirnoff's and tried to find them spots on the shelves behind the bar, when I heard the door open.<p>

"Hey," I heard from behind me, her voice clear as bells. Well I'll be damned...

"I heard there were some job openings here, I was wondering if you could..." She stopped talking when I turned to face her,  
>the biggest and stupidest, shit-eating grin on my face.<p>

"Yes, Illini?" I asked her, raising my eyebrows, grin still intact.

"I uh, wanted to,- well actually ah," she stuttered, then stopped, taking in a deep breath. There's the blush I've gotten used to! "What are you doing here?" She asked softly.

"Saddle's actually my bar," I stopped. "Well, like half actually. Jasper and I opened it together."

She nodded slowly, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "So I guess you'd be the one asking me questions, huh?" A small smile on her lips.

I crinkled my nose. "Well, not really."

"Oh." She said, my eyes drifting to her mouth as she bit down on her bottom lip. "Well then what do I need to do?"

Things the nuns wouldn't approve of. What? "Ah..." I started, clearing my throat. This was business now Masen. "Do you have any type of criminal record?" She shook her head. "Any medical conditions?"

She grimaced. "Aside from the weak stomach, not really."

I nodded. No puke, for sure. "Are you currently taking any drugs?"

"No."

"Lies."

Her mouth fell open, and her eyes widened as if I had just accused her of murder.

I chuckled. "I'm kidding Illini. I'll take your word for it."

She raised her eyebrows. "You're believing me just like that?" I shrugged. "Are _you_ on drugs?" She asked, laughing.

I just shrugged again. "You haven't given me any indication as to why I shouldn't trust you." She seemed so sweet. Innocent ...plus I was pretty sure she'd blush if she lied to me.

She knawed on her lip again. I was about to saw something, when Jasper came through the door with only one box of beer.

"Hey, I swore there were three..." I said, thinking back to the contents of my car.

He shook his head. "Nah, I ran into Em in front of your Camaro. He has the other two." He walked to the bar and set the pack down onto he counter.

As if summoned, Emmett came through the door with the other two packs of beer. "Hey Edwardo."

He looked at Bella, quirking an eyebrow. "Hey Bells, what're you doing here?" Bells?

"Applying for a job," she looked at me then back at him. "You two know each other?"

"Aw yeah," Emmett said, sitting the two packs down next to Jasper's. "Me and Eddie were roommates at UM."

I shuddered at the memories I had about Rose and Em fooling around on the bunk beneath me freshmen year. "Yeah, Emmett never grasped the whole 'don't have sex with your girlfriend when your roommate's in the room' concept."

He boomed out a laugh. "It's not like I didn't walk in on you with that bitch Ta-"

"Donuts?" Jasper asked Bella, suddenly thrusting a pack of Little Debbie's in her face. This was why I favored Jasper over Emmett.

She laughed. "Thanks, but no thanks Jasper." She turned back towards me. "So do I get the job?"

"Of course, gorgeous..." I caught myself. "...ly passed. With flying colors!" I chuckled nervously. Fuck.

She grinned. "Awesome. When do I start?"

I hopped over the bar, leaving the beers to Jasper and Emmett...mostly Jasper, because from what it looked like Emmett was choking on a pack of powdered donuts. Idiot. "Six." I started heading to the back to get her application forms.

"Wait!" She called out, meeting me at the door. "What exactly do I wear?"

Now I was the idiot. "Sorry, completely forgot about that. Hang on a sec, I'll get that for you too."

I went to mine and Jasper's office, getting out the said applications and grabbing a Saddle shirt from the box. She was tiny so I grabbed her a small.

"Here you are," I said, handing her the papers and the shirt. "You can wear the shirt with whatever bottoms, and however you want, just don't be raunchy. This isn't Hooters." I told her, my face dead serious. Although, I wouldn't mind seeing her in one of those tight shirts those girls wear.

She smiled and I cocked an eyebrow at her. "What?" I asked.

"Nothing," She said, grinning. "I'll see you tonight Edward."

She hugged Emmett goodbye and told Jasper she'd see him later, as he passed her a wrapped package across the table. Then she was gone. Call me crazy, but I missed her already.

"So Jazz," I said, plopping down on a barstool next to Emmett and folding my hands in front of me. "What'd you get Alice?"

He cocked his head to the side, pretending like he didn't know what I was talking about. "Oh come on Jasper. We all saw it."

He sighed and surrendered. "Fine. I got her candy."

"Jasper do you like leather?" Emmett asked, resting his chin in his hand.

Jasper raised his eyebrows. "Not really. Why?"

"Cause it seems to me that you're pretty damn _whipped_." Emmett said, throwing his head back with laughter as he made some whipping gestures at Jasper. I couldn't stop myself from joining in.

"Fuck you, Cullen." Jasper said, throwing a towel at Emmett, then turning to me. "And you," he said, pointing a finger at me. "Shouldn't be talking."

I stopped laughing and narrowed my eyes at him. "Touche Whitlock, touche."

I smiled, remembering her perfect smile. I couldn't wait til six. I shook my head in disbelief as I got up from my barstool and headed to the back room, leaving Jasper and Emmett still bickering behind me. I hardly even knew this girl and she already had me thinking about her constantly. I wouldn't exactly call myself 'whipped' at this point- I don't know what you would call it. One thing was certain though: I sure as hell didn't mind.

***Hey you. Yeah, you. Whether you liked it or not, thanks for reading this chapter! Your thoughts will be greatly appreciated, so please leave them here! Somewhere...**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** I don't own any character names. Creds go to Stephenie Meyer. I hope you enjoy. :)

**BPOV**

Huh. What a small, fucking world. I shook my head as I walked down the street back to mine and Alice's apartment. Emmett knew Edward, they were roommates in college. Edward owns Saddle along with Jasper, who is practically dating Alice.  
>It was crazy, that we all were now connected to eachother in a matter of hours. I smiled as I opened the door to our apartment, enjoying the cool air hitting my skin. I locked the door behind me and tossed my things and Alice's present onto the island, noticing our phone was blinking- signaling a voicemail. I pressed the button then proceeded to the fridge to get myself some salad.<p>

"Bella, Honey?" My mom's voice, fuzzy and crackling over her end of the line. "I wish you were home right now. Oh! I have so much to tell you! Your father and I- Charlie stop bothering the poor cat." I chuckled, drizzling some Italian dressing onto my salad. "Your father says hi by the way. Oh dear, it looks like the cat finally hit him. We love you sweetie an- Charlie!  
>don't rub it on your pants, it'll get infected!" I was full out laughing now. I loved my parents. "Bella we love you, tell all the Cullens hello and expect a package soon! Aloha!" And the voicemail ended.<p>

My mother and my father were spending the entire summer in Spain for their anniversary. I hadn't realized how much I missed them. I sighed, finishing up my salad and washing my dishes. I moved to the living room, and plopped down onto the sofa,  
>pulling my knees up to my chest. I flicked on the TV and switched to Nickolodeon, chuckling as I saw Squidward yelling at Spongebob. Time passed and I felt my eyelids start to droop.<p>

Poke. "Hey," someone said. Poke poke. "Bella." Damn, Alice. Poke poke. I heard her sigh and I smiled to myself. Then all of a sudden, _SLAP_.

I jumped up off the couch and narrowly avoided landing on the floor, face first. I cradled my thigh and examined the damage.  
>"Damn Alice!" I complained, wincing at the small, pink handprint she had left on the back of my left thigh. I stopped complaining and whipped my head towards the clock on the stove, having a mini panic attack. I let out a breath and calmed down. I still had an hour.<p>

"I saw a present with my name on it," She said. I looked at her expectantly, expecting her to continue. Nothing.

"And...?" I hedged.

"I wanted you to be there when I opened it," she stated simply, her smile wide.

I rolled my eyes at her. "Go on then, Pixie." I shooed her towards the present. She squealed and skipped to the kitchen. "So much damn energy..." I grumbled to myself. I made it there in time to see her reaction; you should've seen her face.  
>Her eyes were as wide as those unreasonably sized jaw breakers you'd see in candy stores and her jaw fell open.<p>

"Holy fuck!" She exclaimed, holding up the giant gummy bear Jasper had given her. "I told him my favorite candy were gummy bears but damn." She examined the thing in its package, poking and proding.

"Bella," She said to me seriously, setting the massive thing down on the counter. "I think I'm in love."

I laughed and looked at her but she wasn't joining in. "Oh my god, you're serious?" She nodded firmly. "Alice, you guys haven't even gone on a date yet!"

"I know, I know," She sighed, shaking her head. "Just something about him Bells. Something just...clicks."

I gave her a half smile. "If he hurts you," I said, placing my hand over hers and looking her in the eye. "I will castrate him. No hesitation." She bust out laughing.

"Thanks Bella." She said still laughing.

"Oh," I said, suddenly remembering the T-shirt Edward had given me. I pushed it towards her. "I have a project for you."

She pursed her lips and picked up the shirt, examining it.

"Edward said I could wear it with whatever, and however I wanted, as long as it wasn't raunchy."

She cocked a perfect eyebrow at me. "Edward? As in your cutie Edward?" I nodded. "It's fate." She decided, tossing the T-shirt back onto the counter. "Get ready, I'll have this done for you in five minutes."

I obeyed and went to the bathroom, washing off the makeup I already had on and reapplied my mascara, and added some eyeliner for the heck of it. I brushed through my hair again and pulled it up into a high ponytail. As I was wrapping my hair tie around I heard two soft knocks on the door.

"Decent," I said, smoothing out any bumps I had in my hair. I turned to face her and the tiny thing that once was my shirt.

"Alice," I hissed, taking the material from her. "He said not raunchy!"

She snorted. "All I did was cut the neckline, cut the sleeves, and maybe a third off the torso." She headed back to the living room. "Put it on and come out here!"

I sighed and pulled the thing over my head. Okay, so maybe it wasn't that bad. I actually looked...hot. The shirt showed off my torso and my somewhat defined abs. My "two-pack" as I liked to call it. When I made it out to the living room, Alices eyes were gleaming with approval. She did the ridiculous gesture where she pretended to lick her finger and pressed it to my arm,making a "tsssst" sound.

She bounced up and down on her toes. "He's not even gonna LOOK at anything else when you walk in there."

Fuck. "Wait," I said, her bouncing stopping immediately. "He's my boss now. How, if it were to even happen, would it work?"

She bit her lip, and looked at the ceiling, thinking. Finally, she shrugged, moving towards her room. "Bella, if it's meant to be, it'll work out. You deserve someone good...believe me." She closed her room door behind her.

Her last sentence brought back the memories of Jake and I. How we used to be the perfect couple but then one day it just turned sour. Three fucking months. I should be over this. "You're nothing." His words rang through my mind, haunting me.  
>I was so blind, so dumb. Fuck. I pinched the bridge of my nose, squeezing my eyes shut, forcing the tears back into my sockets. If I was nothing, I wouldn't have people who loved me. I wouldn't have families who cared. Edward. If I was nothing, then Edward wouldn't have seen me. I smiled, remembering his slip up this afternoon when he almost called me gorgeous.<p>

"I deserve this," I whispered to myself. And for the first time, I believed it.

**EPOV**

Saddle was already at full swing by four; three glasses broken, and two puke messes had already happened.

_Oh,what the hell is that?_ I thought to myself, squinting at the pink mess on the floor as I tried to step over it.

"Leah!" I called out, as I stepped into the back room. She stepped out of the bathroom, drying her hands off with a paper towel. She probably just finished washing them after the first mess she had to clean up. God, she was gonna hate me.

I looked at her apologetically, giving her a half smile. She threw the paper towel in a trash bin hastily, her forehead creasing with irritation.

"You have _got_ to be fucking kidding me," She stated angrily.

"Sorry," I mumbled, as I reached into a box pulling out three new shot glasses.

"I'm glad you hired another girl," she sighed, pulling on a pair of rubber gloves while grabbing a rag and bucket as well as 409. "I won't be the only one cleaning up hurl around here."

I cringed. "Yeah...about that..." I trailed off, stopping in the doorway, fiddling with the shot glasses. "She has a weak stomach an-"

She sighed angrily, moving past me and back towards the front of the bar. "Can never get a break around here..." she muttered.

Yeah I definitely needed to hire more people, but after just opening, I wanted to see if it would be worth it. I glanced at the clock, 5:55. Bella should be here soon. I sighed heading back to the bar. So many people were crowding around the counter, fighting for Jasper's attention.

"I've been standing here for like, ten minutes. I kinda want to order my drink," a tall guy with a buzz cut said. He was wearing a white T-shirt, and was sweating profusely. Ew.

Jasper shot him an annoyed look, while straining some girl's margarita into a glass. "The fuck do I look like? Flash? I'm one person with two arms."

The guy flipped him off and went back to his group of friends at one of the tables. "C'mon guys, this place blows. Let's go to _SIGMA_." He practically yelled, probably making sure Jasper heard.

Jasper snorted, shooting me a grateful look as I hopped over the counter to help him. "He's heading to a place with cheap beer and shitty bathrooms. Cool, dude."

I laughed. "I know. That place is practically a ghost town." I made my way to the opposite end of the bar, taking peoples'  
>orders, making the drinks as quick as I could while Jasper did the same. Eventually the sea of people in front of the bar disappeared, most of them returning to a table. I wiped my hands off with a towel and went back to Jasper, who was now talking to Alice.<p>

"Hey Alice," I greeted her. She smiled and waved.

"Oh, I sent Bella to the back so Leah could give her the gist of everything," Jasper told me, breaking out of his Alice induced haze.

I was about the head to the back, to make sure Leah wasn't telling her about what an ass I was, when both of the girls came out, trays under their arms. I think I died a little inside when I realized what Bella was wearing. She was wearing the uniform alright, but it was now half of its original size. The sleeved were gone, exposing her tanned and toned upper arms.  
>The neck line was cut off also, a good amount of her chest showing- not in a Hooter's way unfourtunately. Last but not least, her stomach. Her stomach was exposed, the defined lines of her abs showing. Ho-ly shit. I lightly touched both of my eyes. Yep, they didn't fall out.<p>

"Eddie," Leah said, twirling around in a circle. I just noticed that Leah's shirt was cut in a similar fashion, her tattoos exposed. "I love this girl already, she's a genius!"

Bella laughed, the sound eliciting goosebumps all over my skin. In the best way possible. "It was Alice's idea, not mine,"  
>she said, gesturing to her small friend.<p>

Leah turned to Alice, sticking her hand out to her. "I'm Leah. Feel free to snip all of my shirts." she said, shaking Alice's hand. Alice laughed, and nodded.

Bella moved so she was standing in front of me. "So, Boss, anything I can do?" Her chocolatey eyes gleaming. I stared back at her for maybe a beat too long before blinking.

"Erm, yeah," I said, handing her a pen and a small notebook. "Just go around and make sure everyone's fine and take a few orders if they have any."

She nodded, taking the pen and notebook from my hands. Her fingers brushed against mine when she reached for the pen, the contact making my entire hand tingle. I heard her gasp and looked up from our hands, back to her eyes. Her eyes were wide,  
>with shock I'm assuming, and she gave me a tight smile before she walked over to the tables; my eyes couldn't help but wander to her ass and the two dimples she had on her lower back.<p>

Someone cleared their throat and I turned around. Leah rolled her eyes and headed for the tables while Alice and Jasper looked back at me with identical grins.

"What?" I asked them, feeling my face get hot.

"What do you mean 'what'?" Alice demanded, waving her hand in Bella's direction. "We all saw that, Buddy. Care to explain?"  
>She was grinning from ear to ear.<p>

"I like her," I stated simply, wiping the counter down.

"You gonna ask her out?" Jasper asked, his back towards me.

I grimaced. "I hardly know her."

Alice snorted. "What?" I asked her. "I wanna at least be friends with her first."

She held her hands up towards me in surrender. "Alright lover boy, just know one thing." I crossed my arms and nodded at her, signaling her to go on. "She's broken. Her last boyfriend was a dick. If you EVER make her feel as low as he did I will personally rip your balls off, cook them, then feed them to the dogs." I felt my eyes grow wide. "Got it?" I nodded furiously. Oh my god, worst visual in the world. The dogs...they were fighting, and, oh god.

I looked back towards the table where Bella was. She was laughing at something one of the girls at the table said, and jotted down their drinks.

I ran my hand over my face. I was so gone for this girl and she didn't even know it.

***Should I continue this story? Yay? Nay? Leave your thoughts as a review, they will be greatly appreciated. Toodles.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** I decided to just upload this chapter anyways since I haven't updated in a pretty long time haha. I don't own these character names! Miss Meyer does.

**EPOV**

Overall, the night was great. No more mishaps occurred, thank god, and pretty much all the customers left smiling after 11 when we needed to close. Leah left first, waving goodbye to all of us, as she walked to her car, getting whistled at by some Jersey Shore wannabe on the way. I didn't even try to hide my laughter as she flipped him off.

Jasper and Alice stepped outside, both of them laughing. "Ed, Alice and I are gonna be out for a while, can you handle Sparta on your own?" I nodded, locking the doors to Saddle.

"Where are you guys going?" Bella asked Alice, a look of concern in her eyes.

Alice looked up at Jasper, grinning. "Ihop." They turned and started walking down the street, leaving only Bella and I.

"So," I started, breaking the silence before it got too awkward. "Want a ride home?"

She smiled, shaking her head. "I live pretty close, I'll be good." Oh no, you're not walking home alone.

"Okay cool, I'll walk you." I said, starting in the same direction she left last night. She caught up to me, shaking her head again.

"You really don't have to," She said, blushing.

"Believe me, I want to," I said, maybe too seriously. I laughed nervously. "That shirt's, ah, gonna get you attention from a lotta drunk guys."

She looked down, almost as if she had forgotten she was wearing it. I sure as hell didn't.

She sighed. "Right. Well, you have a point."

I nodded. "You should totally lead the way though, cause I don't where the hell I'm going." I said, running my hand through my hair.

She laughed. "Sorry, forgot." She shook her head. "I'm such a ditz around you," she mumbled quietly to herself. I ignored it,  
>choosing not the make her feel embarassed.<p>

"Wanna play a game?" I blurted out suddenly. Fuck, no filter.

She looked at me questioningly, raising an eyebrow. "Depends on what game."

"The Question Game."

She shrugged, as we stopped at a crosswalk. "Sure, why not."

"Okay, what's your favorite animal?" I asked, looking down at her. She was a good six inches shorter than me I think.

She glared at me. "Don't coddle me, Edward" she accused, pointing a finger at me. A small shock went through me, hearing my name come from her lips.

I raised my hands up in defense. "I'm not! It's a serious question."

She narrowed her eyes at me. "Dog." Well look at that. "What about you?"

"Same. Sparta is actually mine and Jasper's dog." Shit, I needed to check on him soon or else he's gonna piss all over the carpet...again.

"Really?" She asked me, grinning.

"Yeah, you should come see him one day." FILTER. WHAT THE HELL.

Her eyes lit up like a little kid's on Christmas day. Cute. "What kind of dog is he...or she?" She asked excitedly

"Husky. He's pretty big though," We started walking again once the light had turned green. "Your turn."

"What's your favorite color?" She asked.

I raised my eyebrows at her. "Now who's coddling?" I laughed. She smiled, smacking me on my arm. "Red." I said, once I stopped laughing. "You?"

"Green," She said immediately, he cheeks turning pink yet again. Huh, that's odd. I was expecting pink, or purple or something.

"I don't really like those colors." She said smiling. Shit, did I say that outloud?

"Favorite TV show?" I asked.

"Top Gear," she said with no hesitation. "UK version not US." she added. Holy crap, I'm in love.

"Really?" I asked, maybe a bit too surprised for my own good.

"Yeah," She said. "They're fucking hilarious...even if they do hate our country's cars."

"So true," I laughed. "I think I died a little when they were bashing my car."

"What car do you drive?"

"Chevy Camaro SS," I stated. I love my baby, but sadly my UK friends didn't. That was a bad day for me.

"Are you serious?" She asked exictedly. I nodded. "Please tell me it's black."

"It's purple." Her face morphed into one of disgust and I busted out laughing, shaking my head at her. "I'm kidding, it's black."

She had this dreamy look on her face. "I saw it outside the bar. I hate to sound like a creep, but it's so sexy." HA! Take that UK, at least she likes my car. "But it does have a lot of blind spots." This is true...

I shrugged. "Yeah and it's pretty much hard plastic on the inside, but then again, what car isn't?"

"So true, plus we're in the middle of Chicago, you're not gonna need to be going 100 something miles anytime soon."

"Exactly! Finally someone understands me!" I sighed. "Jasper and Emmett gave me crap for weeks because I bought that car."

We stopped in front of an apartment building, which I was guessing was hers.

"This is me," She said, looking at the big building, a small frown on her face.

"I think you can take it from here." I said, running my hand through my hair. I smiled. "It was great talking with you Bella," I started walking back in the direction of Saddle. "I'll see you tomorrow, Illini!"

She stuck her tongue out at me, and went inside the building. I sighed, dreading going back to my apartment. Who knows what that dog peed on.

**BPOV**

"Bella," He murmured into my ear, taking my earlobe between his teeth. I felt myself shudder, letting my head fall back slightly at his touch. We were at the bar, behind the counter. The lights were dimmed and no one was around except for me and him. He placed his hands on my hips and slid them down lower til they were finally cupping my ass.

"Mmm," I hummed in appreciation. I heard him chuckle lowly into my ear, before he moved his head back up from my ear, to face me, the small scruff along his jawline scratching my cheek slightly. His green eyes searched mine for a moment as he slowly inclined his face down to mine an-

_What the fuck?_ I thought to myself. _Why the fuck am I bouncing?_

I groaned, and opened one eye to the sight of a small Alice bouncing up and down on the foot of my bed.

She stopped bouncing and put her hand on her hips. "Bout time you woke up," she said, moving into a sitting position next to my feet.

I buried my face back into my pillow. "Unlike some people, I actually need sleep to be able to function during the day."

She snorted. "That sure was some sleep you were having." She then proceeded to moan, and hum, mocking me.

I laughed and lifted my head from my pillow. "Hey, it's been a while since I've gotten any, give me a break."

She patted my head and stood up from my bed, sticking her hand out to me. "I know, that's why we're going to get you some."

I took her hand and stood up from my bed, following her out of my bedroom. "You're not gonna try and get me a hooker right?"

She handed me a mug of coffee, god bless her, and looked at me like I was dumb. "We're going shopping, dumbass." She sat up on the counter and sipped from her own mug. "We gotta buy you some clothes that'll make guys give you a double take, but not in a whore-ish way. You know. 'Get the bitches excited!" She said, quoting a JennaMarbles video.

I grinned, shaking my head. "Sounds tempting, but there's really only one guy I wanna get 'excited'."

"Ah, but that's the beauty of the male species Bells," She put her mug down besides her. "When he sees other guys drooling over you, he'll get defensive; he'll make his claim a lot faster!"

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Species? Claim? Are we talking about my love life, or some special on Animal Planet?"

"Well with the way you were moaning, I'm sure you guys could get it on like animals," She said, wiggling her eyebrows at me suggestively, as there was a knock at the door.

I rolled my eyes at her as I made my way to the door. "You're just like Emmett," I said, as I looked throught the peep hole on our door. Speaking of the devil...

I opened the door, and immediately I was suffocating.

"Hey Bells!" Emmett greeted me, crushing me in one of his arms, a small pink box in his other hand.

"Em!" I heard Alice shriek from behind me. "She's almost as small as I am, be careful!"

Emmett released me and handed me the pink box before proceeding the crush his sister. Someone cleared their throat and I looked up.

_FUCKKKKK,_ I cursed internally, feeling my cheeks get hot. Emmett wasn't alone: Jasper and Edward came along too.

"Hey Bella," Jasper greeted me cheerfully, before stepping inside, leaving Edward out in the hallway alone.

"Hey," he said, grinning at me.

I looked down at myself. I was wearing short shorts and a white camisol- no bra. Shit. "Hey," I said shyly.

"Can I, ah..?" he asked, gesturing with his head towards the inside of the apartment.

"Oh! Yeah, sorry, come on in." He stepped inside, shutting the door behind him.

"Hang on," I said, putting the pink box down onto the counter and practically ran towards my room. I really hope he didn't see anything, I thought to myself, as I peeled off my cami and grabbed the closest bra I could find and put it on before putting the cami back on. I went into the bathroom and scrubbed my teeth furiously before heading back into the living room.  
>I'm gonna kill Alice for not giving me a warning.<p>

When I got back to the living room, pratically everyone had a mug of coffee in front of them, and a cupcake. Everyone was sitting on the floor, around our coffee table; Jasper and Alice were practically cuddling, Emmett was laughing into his phone, and Edward was figeting with his fingers. Well...here goes nothing.

I plopped myself down next to Edward, and sighed. "So, what'd I miss?" I asked him, taking a sip from my now, cold coffee.

His face lit up immediately as he turned to face me. "Not much; Alice and Jasper are in their own little world, and Emmett's on the phone with Rose, explaining to her why he didn't wake her up this morning." He reached for the pink box and opened it for me. "Want one?" he asked, offering me a cupcake. "They're from Dinkle's."

My ears perked up at 'Dinkle's' and I immediately went to grab one, but I retracted my hand before I could get one. Edward looked at me questioningly; no one usually turned down Dinkle's.

I gave him a half-smile. "Diet," I said.

He shook the box a little. "Aw, come on. It's okay to be naughty every once in a while."

I raised my eyebrows at him and i felt my cheeks get warm, remembering my dream from earlier. His eyes got wide as if he just realized what he had said. Now he started turning a little pink. I picked a cupcake up from the box and held it up to him.

"Cheers," I stated. He smiled and shook his head, lifting up what was left of his cupcake and bumping it against mine.

"Cheers."

***Hope you enjoyed! Leave a review- I'd love to hear what you guys think :) Toodles**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I don't own these characters! S. Meyer does!**

**EPOV**

"Hey," I greeted her. She looked like she just woke up; her hair was flipped to one side, she was wearing nothing but a pair of small shorts and a white tank top- no bra. Don't judge me. And she had no makeup on. She was gorgeous.

I guess she saw me eyeing her and glanced down at herself, her cheeks turning the light shade of pink I've grown accustomed to. "Hey," she said, not really looking me in the eye.

Jasper and Emmett were already inside. I didn't really know her yet so I didn't want to just barge in. I cleared my throat a little and gestured towards the inside of her apartment with my head. "Can I, ah...?"

"Oh!" She jumped a little, as if just realizing I wasn't inside yet. "Yeah, sorry, come on in."

I followed her inside, and closed the door behind me. Before I had enough time to turn back around and face her, I heard her mumble "Hang on," and she was gone. Poof. I exhaled and picked up the box of cupcakes she had set down on the counter and headed towards the living room.

"Hey Edward," Alice greeted me, handing me a mug of hot coffee, and carrying two more into the living room. She set one mug down in front of Emmett, who at this point, had a wicked grin on his face as he messed with his iPhone, and sat down next to Jasper on the floor.

I sat down next to Emmett, and opened up the box of cupcakes to everyone. Jasper grabbed one and tried to swipe some on Alice's face. Emmett grabbed one, and then continued chuckling at his phone.

"Emmett, what the hell are you doing?" I asked, taking a bite out of my own cupcake. God, it was heaven.

He glanced up at me but looked back at his phone. "I'm face timing Rose."

I raised my eyebrows at him. "I thought the whole point of her not coming was to let her sleep in."

He grinned at me. "That's the beauty of it Eddie. If I wake her up, she'll be pissed about me interrupting her sleep, AND for not telling her about this little breakfast thing. She'll be double-y pissed!" He was pratically gleaming with happiness at this point.

I was fucking confused. When Emmett was still my roommate, I learned the hard way about how lethal Rose was when she was pissed off; I couldn't sit down for three days. I shuddered at the memory. "Why the fuck is that a good thing, exactly?" I asked

He rolled his eyes at me, as Rose answered the face time call.

"I'm gonna fucking kill you Emmett. I'm not face timing with you." She clicked off. Yeah she was pissed.

"Edward," Emmett said, as he dialed her cell number and held it to his ear. "A pissed off Rose equals the best make-up se-Hey honey, we were just talking about you!"

I just stared at him. Is this what love has been reduced to? I thought as I sipped my coffee. Pissing each other off for sex and unreasonably sized pieces of candy. Huh. Maybe it wasn't even worth going after.

"So what'd I miss?" I heard from beside me.

I smiled as I turned to face Bella. She looked a lot more awake now. Her face was washed, and her bra was intact. Damn.

"Not much; Alice and Jasper are in their own little world, and Emmett's on the phone with Rose explaining to her why he didn't wake her up this morning." I lifted up the box of cupcakes and opened them to her. "Want one? They're from Dinkle's."

Her face lit up almost as fast as it fell. Her mouth pulled up at one corner in a grimace. "Diet." she explained.

Diet? Hardly necessary, Beautiful. I shook the box a little. "Aw, c'mon. It's okay to be naughty every once in a while."

Her face turned a little pink as she raised her eyebrows at me, her brown eyes twinkling with amusement. I thought back to what I said and felt my cheeks get a little warm. I need to find some program to help me with this filter problem.

Naughty? Really Edward? She probably thinks you're a pervert. Well, I wouldn't mind if she was naughty with me every once in a while...Yup. I was a pervert.

I broke out of my train of thought as she reached into the box and pulled out a cupcake, holding it up to me.

"Cheers," she stated simply.

Thank god she let that go. I wouldn't exactly know how to explain myself. I lifted up what was left of my cupcake and shook my head at her, grinning stupidly.

"Cheers," I said, as I bumped my cupcake to hers.

**BPOV**

"Mmm," I hummed with happiness as I tucked my knees beneath me. "I don't think I've had one of these since last year."

Edward chuckled, scooting a little closer to me. "I think I'd die if I went that long with out one of these," he said, holding up another cupcake.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "I think I might now too," I took a bite out of my cupcake. "300 calories!" I said, accusingly.

His eyes searched my face for a second. "Bella, you don't need to worry about stuff like that. You're fine the way you are." I think I stopped breathing as he lifted his hand up to my face, brushing his thumb across the corner of my mouth. He held it up in front of me.

"Frosting," he said simply, before sticking his thumb in his mouth and returning to his own cupcake.

I blinked, a bit dazed. The compliment, the frosting. I was gone. I cleared my throat and brought my knees up to my chest, resting my chin on my knees.

"Thanks," I said quietly. He looked up at me and opened his mouth to say something.

"Rosie's coming!" Emmett boomed, a triumphant smile on his face. He turned to Alice, his happy expression morphing into one of disgust due to Alice and Jasper's cuddling. He cleared his throat loudly until Alice looked at him.

"Yes?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow at him, as Jasper nuzzled her neck.

"I invited Rose to join your guys' shopping trip. That okay?" He asked

An evil smile stretched across Alice's face. "Hell yeah," she said, and looked at me. "She can help."

I rolled my eyes, remembering the last time I went shopping with Rose and Alice. I came out of The Water Tower Place with bags full of clothes and underwear that looked like butt floss.

"Oh come on Bells," Rose said, holding up a thong that literally looked like elastic bands bonded together, and flicking it at me. Her blue eyes twinkled with mischief. "Live a little." Rose, easily, was the prettiest girl I had ever seen. This was last summer before Alice and I had moved into our apartments. Rose had just gotten a tattoo of a Japanese cherry blossom on her back, the bandage, as well as her honey blonde hair, stood out sharply against her tanned skin. We had only met her last winter, but immediately her, Alice, and I clicked. She added onto mine, Emmett's and Alice's group the 'Twisted Trio', and we formed the 'Fantastic Four' from there.

I scoffed, picking the vile thing up from in front of me, and flinging it back at her. "I think I can have fun while wearing underwear, Rose."

She smirked. "You sure 'bout that?" She asked, waggling her eyebrows at me.

"You are too much like Emmett," I mumbled, sifting through the piles of lace and cotton at Victoria's Secret.

"Huh." She held up the thong again, and examined it. "You think he might like these?" God, help me.

"Bella," the sound of Edward's voice immediately broke me out of my flash back. I looked at him, his green eyes sparkling with amusement and I felt my cheeks get warm.

"Welcome back," he said, smiling and stretching his arms above him. I couldn't help my eyes from wandering when the movement made his shirt lift up a little, exposing the light brown hair of his happy trail.

I didn't realize how long I had been staring until I heard someone clear their throat. I looked up to see Jasper and Alice looking at me from across the table, Alice trying her best to conceal her laughing by burying her face in Jasper's neck.  
>Emmett, had apparently finished talking to Rose on the phone just in time to catch me. He narrowed his eyes at me and glanced at me and Edward before returning to his phone.<p>

I cringed internally as I raised my eyes to meet Edward's. His mouth was lifted on one side in a half smile, his green eyes dancing with amusement. Kill me now. I cleared my throat and glanced around me, my eyes landing on the empty coffee mugs on the table.

"Oh hey look at the time, I should be getting ready," I stammered, standing up from my spot, brushing crumbs off of my camisol.  
>I picked up the coffee mugs and moved as quickly as I could to the kitchen, narrowly avoiding dropping one of the mugs onto the tile floor. I braced myself against the counter, letting out a huge breath. I covered my face with my hands, trying to cool off my warm cheeks.<p>

"Bye, Bells!" I heard Emmett yell as he walked past the kitchen towards the door of the apartment.

"Yeah thanks for having us!" Jasper added, whispering something into Alice's ear before kissing her on the cheek and exiting.

Edward stopped next to the counter, scratching the back of his neck. He opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, but closed it, shaking his head while smiling.

"I'll see you later Bella." And then, they were gone. I'm not gonna lie but I was pretty sad; they hadn't even stayed for that long, but somehow I had managed to mortify myself in the time that they were here. Not only was I caught looking at an area dangerously close to Edward's junk, but I was caught by Emmett. Fuck, I would pay for that later.

Yay, me...

***I haven't updated in so long, I know. I'm sowwyyy. Hmm, I don't really know where I was going with this chapter, or with this story for the matter haha. I'm just writing whatever my little heart desires :) Read! Review! Dance! Do whatever you please!**

**Toodles**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I do not own these characters!**

**BPOV**

"Please," Alice whined from the other side of the curtain separating my dressing room from the rest of the world.

"No." I stated plainly. I looked ridiculous and my boobs literally looked like two puppies trying to escape the coral colored corset I was convinced to try on.

Alice and I had spent three hours downtown, moving in and out of the stores that lined State Street. My feet were getting sore and I was sure I had a pretty bad flip flop tan forming on my right foot. Don't ask me why it's just one foot because I don't even know. All I wanted was a green tea frappucino from Starbucks at this point but nooo. Alice wanted to go to one last store. Knowing better than to get in Alice's way when she's shopping, I unenthusiastically obliged.

"Where exactly are we going?" I asked her warily. We were walking down the streets of a very busy, and unfamiliar area and believe me, I was anxious.

She grinned at me evilly, exposing her perfect teeth. "You'll see."

Twenty minutes later, I ended up where I was right now: In one of the dressing rooms of The Pleasure Chest.

I heard Alice tapping her foot from the other side of the curtain. "Just come out already."

I huffed. "Fine- but we had a deal!" I said, as I slid aside the red curtain. Alice was practically squealing.

"Bella!" She said, bouncing on her toes. "You have tits!"

I crossed my arms in front of my chest. "Yeah, yeah just get me my venti green tea." I mumbled. I felt exposed- no. _beyond_ exposed. The corset I was wearing was squeezing the shit out of me- the corset combined with my torn jean shorts made me look like some kind of confused cross between a high-class escort, and a plain prostitute.

Alice waved her hand at me. "Bella you look hot! Embrace it!"

I turned around to face the floor length mirror in the dressing room. "No, what I will embrace," I said, as I struggled to take in a whole breath, "Is that venti. Can we leave?"

She rolled her eyes at me. "You're no fun." She pouted at me. "Rose would have done it."

I pulled the curtain back between us. "Well," I said, as I started undoing the corset. "Rose is insane." Rose couldn't make it- thankfully. I mean I love her, but Rose in a sex shop, equals _hell no_.

"_Edward_," she dragged out, "Would have _loved_ to see you in that!"

I laughed, pulling on my shirt. "I really doubt that Alice- he hardly knows me."

"Well _you_ hardly know him and you're already eye-fucking him!" She laughed. I pulled aside the curtain, pulling my purse over my shoulder.

"Shut up," I mumbled, flicking her with my finger.

She swatted my hand away, as we made our way to the exit. "D'aww don't be like that suga." She said, in a fake southern accent. "He's been eye fucking you too."

I shook my head at her. Edward, was practically sex on legs- getting girls left and right. I remember talking with Leah in the bathroom as a group of bleached-blonde oompa loompas entered the bathroom.

"Lauren..." Oompa Loompa 1 said, "I totes think I'm gonna get laid tonight." She took out her eyeliner, adding onto the smeared mess that was already along her lower lash line.

"Oh my god, _I know_" Oompa Loompa 2 said, "That bartender was definitely checking you out." When I heard 'bartender' my hearing immediately sharpened, not because they were talking about Edward, but because I thought they were talking about Jasper and I wanted to let Alice know she had to cut someone tonight.

Oompa 1 laughed, the noise sounding like a nasally hyena. "I'm gonna find out whether that bronze hair of his, is _everywhere_," She said, adjusting her boobs before leaving the bathroom, Oompa 2 close on her tracks. I think that was the first time I actually wanted to break something.

I blinked, clearing my thoughts of that night. She and I put our transit cards into the turnstile, and started walking up the stairs to the train's platform. "What time is it?" I asked her as we sat down on one of the benches.

She sighed, pulling her iPhone out of her back pocket. "Six," she said, sliding it back into her pocket. "Did you bring your shirt with you?"

I nodded and gave her a half smile. "I knew this shopping trip would take hours."

She nodded. "As they always should." She sat back on the bench, slipping her feet out of her flats.

"Why don't you believe you can find someone better?" She asked me suddenly.

I raised my eyebrows. Well, that wasn't expected. I reached up and scratched my eyebrow. "Because there's nothing that's made me believe that I deserve finding someone better, honestly. Like, I believe I deserve it sometimes but other times...god."

She sighed, shaking her head. "Bella, you're a great person. You're caring, you're smart, you're pretty- Jacob wasn't even close to any of those things." She sat up. Here we go..."He's a piece of shit- you shouldn't let him ruin your confidence."

"Alice..." I trailed off.

"No- seriously Bella." She let out a short, incredulous laugh. "Edward is another chance for you. I already asked Emmett about him and he's good- he's like a fucking Anti-Douche." The train approached, and we stood up from our seats on the bench and stepped towards the edge of the platform as a car pulled up to us, opening it's doors.

"Bella," Alice said, as we stepped inside. "Please, just promise me you'll try to be optimistic about this."

I bit my lip. She was right, I knew that. But I didn't trust myself. I was a fucking pessimist and I hated it- being optimistic, to me, just seemed unreal. Edward was another chance for me to feel good about myself and to be happy. Months have already passed since I began to remake myself. I exercised, I worked out, I dressed differently; Edward was an opportunity for me to see myself differently.

"Fine," I said. She threw her arms in the air, as if to yell 'Hallelujah!'. I couldn't help the small smile that formed on my face because of how ridiculous my best friend was, and because of the small tinge of excitement I felt floating in my stomach, at the thought of a completely new beginning.

"I still want my venti."

***Late update, heh. Review! Let me know if this story should be continued because I'm honestly on the fence about it. **

**Got tumblr? Click on my bio page and find me if ya want, haha.**

**Toodles.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Gah! I know I haven't updated for a while. Sorry!**

**I still don't own these characters' names! Creds to S. Meyer**

**EPOV**

"Excuse me," A nasally, too-sweet voice asked from in front of me.

I looked up as I took the caps off two beers, sliding them down the counter towards Jasper. My eyes locked with a scantily clad blonde with too much make up on, her two friends close behind her, whispering and giggling together as they occasionally glanced at me._ Lord..._

"Yes?" I asked, quirking an eyebrow at her.

She leaned forward on the counter, pushing her boobs together. Instinctively, I leaned away- I didn't know this bitch.

"Well you see," she said, batting her eyelashes at me- fake of course. "I asked my friends for their opinion on this top," she brushed her hand across her collarbone. "But I was wondering what _you_ thought of it?"

I narrowed my eyes at her. What the hell was it with girls these days? Fucking throwing themselves at anything with a pulse. Sure, any other guy would probably be ecstatic and jump at every opportunity they had thrown at them, but that wasn't me. I liked knowing I actually earned a girl.

"Well," I said, leaning towards her on the counter. "I think..."

"Mhmm," she grinned, liking my advance.

"I think I can see the socks you stuffed down your bra to make your rack look bigger." I stated, leaning away once again. Her face fell and quickly morphed into an ugly scowl.

"Fuck you," She said, moving back towards her friends.

I laughed. "No thanks sweetheart- I like my girls natural."

Before I could react fast enough, she threw her Cosmo on me, dragging her friends out of Saddle.

I heard a low whistle from behind me. I turned around to face Jasper who was holding a towel out towards me. "You see Eddie, this is why you don't get laid."

I laughed, taking the towel from him and wiping my face off with it. "I've got better standards than that Jazz."

He smirked. "Oh I know." He glanced at his watch. "She'll be here in ten minutes by the way."

"Shut the hell up," I mumbled, tossing the towel back at him. "I'm gonna change my shirt."

I hopped over the bar and made my way to the backroom where we kept all of our supplies. I yanked my shirt over my head and tossed it to the side. Where the fuck did I put those Saddle shirts the girls were wearing. I opened one of the boxes on the ground- nope. Glasses. I did the same thing to a few more boxes before finally finding them. I started pulling the shirt on before I heard a gasp and a mumbled "shit" from the doorway.

Crap, this is awkward. _It's okay Ed, stay cool...calm..._ I thought to myself as I pulled the shirt down more, uncovering my eyes. I couldn't help but chuckle at what I saw. Bella was pink to say the least; her eyes were to the ceiling and she was doing her one thing where she bit her bottom lip. Yeah, she looked uncomfortable.

"I, uh, just wanted to leave my bag here," She glanced at me before averting her eyes back at the ceiling- this time using her hand as an added cover.

She was cute. "What, am I that hideous?" I asked jokingly, trying to ease her embarrassment. Come to think of it shouldn't I be the embarrassed one? I wondered, subtly patting my stomach to make sure I hadn't acquired a beer belly over the past few weeks I had skipped the gym because of Saddle.

She gasped, the hand covering her eyes moved to cover her mouth as she met my eyes. "Oh! No, no I didn't me-" she rambled.

I made my way over to her, placing my hands on her bare shoulders, courtesy of Alice's modifications. The skin to skin contact sent a shock up each of my arms, leaving my finger tips with a funny tingling feeling. "Bella, I'm kidding." I assured her, her face visibly relaxing.

I gave her a half smile, and lightly punched her arm. "I'll see ya out there."

She didn't really respond as I left- instead, mumbling to herself about chances and Ventis.

As I made it to the front of the bar, I heard Emmett's booming laughter coming from one of the tables.

"Yahtzee!" He yelled suddenly. _"Ow!"_

"Emmett, shut the fuck up. You're playing Scrabble." Ah, Rose.

"Hey Ugly," I greeted her, pulling her into a hug.

She laughed. "Nice to see you too, Asshat." Don't ask me about the nickname...just don't.

"How's law school been treating you?" I asked, earning a scoff from her.

She took a sip from her Jack and Coke, shaking her head at me. "Don't even." Something behind me caught her eye. "What about you?" She asked, nodding towards the thing behind me. "I've been told things are going _exceptionally_ well."

I turned around to realize Rose was talking about Bella. She was standing at one of the tables, her tray tucked under her arm as she laughed at something one of the guys at the table said to her.

I turned back to Rose who was smirking at me. "Yeah, life is good right now." I said simply.

***Leave me your thoughts! I appreciate them :)**

**Toodles**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Sorry about the extremely late update! Things have been crazy and not in a good way. I don't own these characters- all creds to S.M.!  
><strong>

**BPOV**

It was official. I wanted to thoroughly jump Edward Masen.

After running into him in the back room, I was convinced that the stars were in my favor; I had seen the man practically shirtless, getting a peek at the small trail of dark hair that led to places I could only dream of visiting. And that's exactly what I did.

"What's wrong with you?" Alice asked me, shoveling a spoonful of Cheerios into her mouth as she sat on the kitchen counter.

"Hmm?" I asked her, breaking out of my Edward-driven daze as I pulled a bottle of water from the fridge.

"You have the stupidest smile on your face," she laughed. "You get laid?"

I nodded. "Mhmm, by my boyfriend." I took a sip of my water. "He always does this cute thing where he's invisible." I couldn't help but chuckle.

Alice, however, was not amused. "He's pretty much yours, B."

I rolled my eyes at her. "Alice, let's get real."

"He turned down a blonde bitch with big knockers last night." she said bluntly.

I felt a surge of anger go through me for a second; I understood that he wasn't mine, but goddamn. I narrowed my eyes at her. "How do you know?"

Alice laughed. "Oh my god, your face!" I quirked an eyebrow at her. "Okay, okay. Jasper told me- he said this chick was practically throwing herself at Edward and he didn't even look at her. Treated her life too."

I smirked. _Hell yeah_, I thought. "Is it bad that I feel pretty smug right now?" I asked her.

Alice placed her bowl in the sink, filling it up with a bit of water. "Nah," she waved her hand at me. "That dick is yours, boo."

I choked a little on my water. "Hardly. But what should I do?"

She sighed, hopping down from the counter. "Bella, you're not new to this game."

"Yeah, I know, but I'm a little rusty," I laughed a little. "I'm at that point where I think I forgot how to kiss someone."

"Ha!" Alice laughed, heading towards the bathroom, waving me along. "Kissing is like riding a bike- you never forget. Now, c'mere- I want to do your makeup today."

"Where exactly are we going?" I asked her, easing myself onto the stool in front of the sink. It was Sunday now- her usual drive for shopping wasn't up on Sundays.

"You're coming with me and Jasper to the movies," she said absently as she smoothed some moisturizer over my face. I opened my mouth to object but she cut me off. "Don't even think about saying no- you won't be a third wheel I promise."

I huffed. "Fine, but I swear to god if I see his hand wandering-"

"Oh my god, that was ONCE!" She laughed as she started buffing mineral powder onto my face. "That was in high school, and Tyler was fucking hot."

"You know, Emmett was pretty damn fine in high school," I said, teasing her. She hated whenever Rose and I would comment on it back in the day. She rolled her eyes at me. "He had that big teddy bear thing going on for him."

She closed the powder up, and picked up her blush. "Yeah, and thanks to Rose I had to hear about ALL the fine things about him," she shuddered, and brushed my cheeks lightly. "Fucking sick."

I chuckled. "The perks of being an only child," I said as she tilted my face up lightly, looking at her work.

"Mhmm," she pulled me off the stool and led me to her bedroom, immediately heading towards her closet.

"Here," She said, handing me a cream colored sundress that had a soft floral pattern on the fabric. "And here." She handed me a pair of wedges.

I narrowed my eyes at her accusingly. "You planned this."

She stepped out of the closet, a slow grin forming on her face. "I have no idea what you're talking about, friend." She made her way into the bathroom, carrying her own outfit of the day.

I shook my head at her but went along with it anyways. It's healthy to take chances...right? I changed into the dress and slipped my feet into the wedges. When I stepped into the bathroom, Alice was already done. How she did it, no clue. "Is a pony tail fine?"

She nodded, parting her hair to the side and smoothing it down. "It'll work."

As I pulled my hair up into a ponytail, I noticed her grinning at me in the mirror. "What?"

"Oh, nothing." She said, putting on some Chapstick. He face was blank, but her eyes were dancing with mischief.

"There's a catch to this isn't there?" I asked, as she finished up.

"Bella, Bella, Bella," she tisked, as she went back to her bedroom. "Stop asking questions and just finish getting ready."

About twenty minutes later, we were in a tall apartment building, Alice's little hand knocking on a dark green door. We heard some movement from the other side, the sound of a chain being moved, before the door opened. I thought I was gonna pass out.

We were met face to face with a shirtless Edward, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. His bronze hair was a mess on top of his head, and his gym shorts hung a little low on his hips, showing his light happy trail on his toned stomach as well as a glimpse of his V-line. He stopped rubbing his face when he locked eyes with me. He looked me over, starting from my toes to my face, his green irises being slightly darker than usual when they finally met my eyes. I wanted to bite him.

"Hey," he said softly, a warm smile spreading on his face. He shifted his gaze to Alice. "You guys look nice. Leaving with Jasper I'm guessing?"

"Actually," Jasper said, finally making his appearance, a piece of paper in hand. "You're coming too, Eddie boy."

Edwards eyes narrowed at his friend. Jasper and Alice were both grinning. Oh, _hell_. "I bought an extra ticket online for the movie, y'know, wanting to surprise my best friend and all."

Edward and I locked eyes for a second, before turning to our friends. I was about to call Alice out, when I felt a small brush of fur against the side of my leg. All my anger was immediately diffused as I bent down to pet the small husky at my feet.

"Aww," I cooed. "You're so fluffy."

Edward chuckled, bending down to pet the dog with me. "Ha, yeah this is Sparta," he said, as the mass of fur proceeded to lick me. Edward stood back up, glancing at me before turning back to Jasper. "Give me ten minutes and I'll be ready."

While we were waiting Jasper showed me all the tricks he and Edward have been trying to teach him.

"Shake," I said to the blue eyed dog, putting my palm out in front of him. He placed his paw on my hand and I shook it. "Good boy!" I cooed.

Alice was still laughing at me. "Bella, you're a dork."

"Hey," I protested, hugging Sparta. I was about to say more as Edward entered the living room, but my thoughts were no longer coherent. He was dressed similarly to Jasper-both of them were just wearing shorts and a plain T-shirt. The only difference were their shoes- Jasper wore flip flops, and Edward wore low top Converse. I couldn't help but smile.

Jasper stood up, offering his hand to Alice. I patted Sparta's head, before standing up, brushing some of his fur off of me.

"Alright, gang," Jasper said grabbing his keys from the counter and leading us through the front door. "Zac Efron, here we come!"

Wait, what? "What?" Edward asked, echoing my thoughts.

Today was going to be interesting to say the least.

***Hope you enjoyed. Tell me your thoughts, I don't mind. :)**

**Toodles  
><strong>


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I AM SO SORRY. This is short, but it's something! I'm making it a goal to update both of my stories more now especially since it's summer time! ** I don't own these character names! S. Meyer does!**

**BPOV**

_Oh my god_, I thought to myself, my face automatically scrunching up at the scene playing in front of me. Alice and Jasper had gotten tickets to see _New Year's Eve_- some movie with all the hit actors and actresses squeezed into the same story line. It had gotten to the part where Zac Efron gives the woman he's working for, her New Year's kiss. It would have been sweet and all, but the woman was like fifty-something years old and he was still in his early twenties. I couldn't help but cringe.

I leaned forward in my seat to shoot a glare at Alice, but her and Jasper were in the middle of sucking face too. I leaned back in my seat, crossing my arms over my chest. Don't get me wrong, I was happy for Alice- believe me. It just sucked to be around people who were getting some, while I was getting none. The big ass screen didn't make it any better.

"Do you want to makeout?" Edward whispered.

Yes. Wait, what the fuck? I whipped my head to my left to face him, my eyebrows shooting up my forehead.  
>"What?" I whisper yelled. Fuck, why didn't I chew gum during the movie. Damnit, Bella.<p>

He chuckled. "I said," he shook a small box of candy between us, "Do you want a milkdud?"

"_Oh my god_," I put my heart on my chest and relaxed. "I thought you asked me if I wanted to makeout." Fuck,  
>no filter.<p>

"Uhm..." He sat back in his seat and blinked at me a couple times. "I don't know whether I should be amused or offended, not gonna lie." He laughed.

My eyebrows scrunched together. "Offended?"

He nodded simply. "I mean, when you found out I was offering milkduds and not my mouth, you seemed pretty relieved." He crossed his arms. "It's 'cause I went to Michigan, isn't it?"

I gave into a fit of whisper-laughing. "You're fucking ridiculous," I said, shaking my head at him.

He threw a milkdud at me before popping one into his mouth. "Well...can I ask why you seemed so relieved?"

I popped the milkdud he threw at me, into my mouth. "Well," I chewed a bit. "I didn't chew gum or anything so that would've sucked- for you I mean. And me, but mostly you 'cause you'd be on the receiving end of it but still..." God, I was rambling.

Edward grinned at me. "Well thanks for looking out for me." he laughed.

I rolled my eyes at him but then shivered. Damn this place was cold. I rubbed my bare shoulders, mentally cursing Alice yet again for her fashion choice. One of these days I will dress myself...probably not now. But soon.

I guess Edward noticed my shiver because he slowly brought his arm around my shoulders.

"This okay?" He asked.

I nodded, scooting as close to him as the arm rest separating us would allow. "You're a saint."

He leaned down and whispered in my ear, "Don't be too sure about that." He wagged his eyebrows for emphasis.

I shivered again. He tightened his arm around me, thinking it was from the temperature of the theater again. Oh, how wrong he was.

Edward and I remained that way for the rest of the movie which kind of surprised me. I thought that once he felt as if I was warm enough, he would take his arm back, but nope. His arm was there for the rest of the movie and he never complained or commented on it once. It felt natural just sitting with him like that. The only strange thing about it, was that the position seemed familiar- as if he and I had been in that position numerous times. I couldn't help but feel alarmed and reassured all at once.

Once they put the lights back on in the theater, Edward and I stood up from our seats, his arm dropped back to his side. I glanced down only to find out that Alice and Jasper were still going at it.

"Did you guys even watch the movie?" Edward asked.

Jasper and Alice separated their faces, both looking up at him with irritation. "I think the better question," Alice started, "is whether _you two _actually watched the movie." She raised her eyebrows at me, shifting her eyes from me to Edward.

"No gum," Edward shrugged. He winked at me and made his way to the theater's exit.

"Nothing?" Jasper asked me incredulously.

"You know?" I demanded, accusing Alice with my eyes.

"Bella, don't hit me when I say this...but it's fucking obvious you two want it." Jasper said, rubbing the back of his neck while Alice nodded with him in agreement.

Poker face. Poker face. Poker fa- _Damnit_, I felt my cheeks getting warm. "Fuck." I mumbled.

Jasper stood up, offering his hand to Alice. He patted my shoulder lightly. "Give it a little more time, no worries."

Yeah, don't worry...Nope, I'm worrying.

***Sorry! Hope you enjoyed their cute, awkward little moment. I plan on updating sometime this week sooo...yeah! Haha**

**Toodles**


	10. Chapter 10

**Yeah... long time no update. Super sorry. I just needed to get some stuff sorted out before continuing any story I have on this site. **

**This is basically the previous chapter only through Edward's POV.**

**hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twlight**

* * *

><p><strong>EPOV<strong>

_What in the hell did I get myself into_, I thought to myself miserably, cringing as I looked at the poor excuse of a movie that played in front of me. I rolled my eyes. This was obviously Alice's choice. Jasper wouldn't have picked this movie in a million years. Remembering my best friend, I glanced over in his direction only to find that he and Alice were having an intense game of tonsil hockey.

I chuckled softly to myself. Jasper was so gone; it was clear Alice had him wrapped around her tiny little finger. A soft snort caught my attention. My eyes shifted from the couple to Bella's spot next to me. I saw she was looking at the couple also, her eyes rolling with disapproval at the couple's public display of affection. I couldn't help but smile. It'd probably take a while before I told her myself, but I thought Bella was beautiful. She was done up more than usual today, another thing about today that I assumed was Alice's doing but hey, I wasn't complaining. When I first saw her this morning I literally had to work hard to keep my jaw from dropping. Don't get me wrong, I've noticed Bella the moment she walked into our bar but this was just different. She wasn't wearing a cut off shirt, or short-shorts. She was in a nice flowery dress. It reminded me of something that mimicked the style of one from the 1950s: the neckline was showy but not too showy, the dress ended a few inches above her knee, and the dress accentuated her hourglass figure like a dream. It was cute.

I blinked, bringing myself from my thoughts. I glanced down to my hands a remembered the box of milkduds I had gotten before the movie started. I leaned in a little so that I could whisper in her ear.

"Do you want a milk dud?" I asked softly.

She must have zoned out because she jolted, a look of worry appearing in her eyes. "What?" she whispered quickly.

I tried pressing my lips together to keep from laughing but I couldn't help but chuckle. "I said," shaking the box of candy a little. "Do you want a milkdud?"

She sighed, looking relieved. "Oh my god," She pressed a hand to her chest. "I thought you asked me if I wanted to makeout."

I felt my eyebrows crinkle as I tried processing this. I looked at her as I tried remembering if I heard this correctly. I sat back in my seat, slightly hurt. "I don't know if I should be amused or offended, not gonna lie," I laughed lightly. Okay, I was somewhat offended. I exhaled a bit, trying to see if it was my breath that had her relieved I hadn't asked that.

"Offended?" She asked me, a look of confusion on her face.

I nodded. "Well, I mean when you found out I was offering milkdudes and not my mouth you seemed pretty relieved." I crossed my arms. I mean I know I wasn't Ryan Gosling or anything but I didn't think I was that bad. "It's 'cause I went to Michigan isn't it?" I asked jokingly, trying to comfort my own ego.

She cracked up at that and I couldnt help but smile. "You're fucking ridiculous," She said, shaking her head at me.

I tossed a milkdud at her. "Well then, can I ask why you were so relieved?" I was honestly curious at this point. I sniffed myself discretely.  
><em>I should've put more cologne on, that's probably it.<em>

She picked the milkdud I had thrown at her up off her lap and popped it into her mouth. "Well,I didn't chew gum or anything so that would've sucked- for you I mean. And me, but mostly you 'cause you'd be on the receiving end of it but still..."

I couldn't stop a stupid ass smile from forming on my face at her rambling. She was adorable- she had no filter- but still adorable. I laughed a bit, realizing that her worries were similar to mine about whether we each had rancid breath or not.

"Well thanks for looking out for me," I laughed, making a mental note to bring a pack of gum with me the next time. _Wait_, I thought to myself.  
><em>Next time? You don't even know if she likes you.<em>

The two of us fell into a comfortable silence, turning both of our attention back to the screen in front of us. I couldn't help but glance at her from the corner of my eye._ Don't get cocky, Edward._ I thought to myself._ You don't know for sure if she likes you._ My internal scolding was interrupted by a counter argument I couldn't help but think of._ Alice wouldn't be pushing this though if Bella didn't like me. She had told me that she's been through a lot so why would she warn me if she didn't see this going anywhere._ I looked back at the corner of my eye at the moment Bella shivered and that's when I lost it.

Before I could help myself, my arm was already moving to go rest along her shoulders. _Shit_, I cursed at myself internally. Too late to turn back.  
>"This okay?" I asked her, chastising myself for not going ahead and asking her first.<p>

Thankfully, she nodded and scooted closer to me. "You're a saint," she thanked me.

_And you're beautiful._ My eyes widened, looking around to see if I had said that out loud. I glanced down at her and she was still tucked under my arm and not running off screaming so I assumed I had kept that to myself. I sighed in relief. _I need to watch my filter more_, I noted. It's always a problem when I'm around her.

Snapping back to reality, I leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Don't be too sure about that," I warned her, wagging my eyebrows for effect.

She shivered again and I tightened my arm around her shoulder. The movie theater was a bit chilly and it didn't help that she was wearing something with no sleeves. I had to keep myself from rubbing my hand along her goose bump covered shoulder. The softness of her skin was just so tempting but I figured I was already pushing it. _Give it time_, I thought to myself.

We stayed like that for the rest of the movie. I was honestly surprised she hadn't moved away after she had warmed up a bit, but I wasn't complaining. Strange enough, this position already felt comfortable. You would think that we had never really hung out like this before that it might've been awkward for either of us but it wasn't. It felt nice- familiar almost. I couldn't put my finger on why it would feel familiar but I didn't question it any further.

The lights in the theater began to turn back on and I removed my arm from Bella's shoulder as I stood up, stretching a bit. I glanced over at Jasper and Alice and snorted when I saw the tonsil hockey match hadn't come to an end yet.

"Did you guys even watch the movie?" I asked them jokingly, my interruption apparently being enough to separate their faces.

"I think the better question," Alice asked, looking between Bella and I. "Is whether _you two_ actually watched the movie?" She looked at Bella pointedly, raising a defined eyebrow at her.

I shrugged at her. "No gum," I said simply, winking at Bella before making my way to the exit. Jasper gave me a look as if to ask "What happened?" and I just gave him a half-smile as I continued walking to the exit.

Once I got out of the theater and into the lobby, I immediately ran a hand down my face. "What the fuck are you doing, Edward?"

* * *

><p><strong>Uh... yeah. Haha The chapter following this one is already in the works so it'll be posted. Don't know when, but it will be. Promise.<strong>

**Until next time!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Short-ish update? Kind of. lol**

**Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.**

* * *

><p><strong>BPOV<strong>

"Shit shit shit," I muttered to myself as I approached Saddle. People were flowing in and out of the bar; Friday night was never a dead night at the bar. I pushed the door open, narrowly avoiding getting trampled over by a hulking guy who looked like he was about to blow chunks all over the sidewalk.

Once I stepped inside I immediately saw Leah serving a nearby table. She had her flirty face on, trying to chat up some blonde guy with freckles. Judging by his pink polo and classic Sperry's, he reeked of money and Leah could scope out an easy tip in a heartbeat.

As I walked past her I gave her a small pat on the shoulder as a greeting and continued heading towards the back. Jasper was laughing at something a small blonde girl said to her before sliding over her martini. Once his eyes met mine, his eye brows crinkled with concern. I just shook my head at him and continued to the back to change.

I tossed my purse onto a nearby table and proceeded to take off the white t-shirt I had been wearing and fished my Saddle shirt out of my purse.

"Shit," I heard someone say behind me. I glanced over my shoulder to see Jasper standing in the doorway, his hand covering his eyes. "Y'know, the door closes." Jasper said, pulling the door back and forth to emphasize his point.

I let out a small laugh. "It's just a sports bra, Jasper." I said, pulling the black cut-off shirt over my head. "Already done."

Jasper uncovered his eyes and relaxed once he saw I was fully dressed. "You okay?" he asked, leaning against the doorway. "You seemed kind of…" he trailed off.

"Tired?" I suggested, pulling the black hair tie out of my hair and letting my curls hang loosely.

"Frazzled," he said, tucking his hands in his pocket.

I sighed, tucking my purse into my locker. "I'm fine," I plastered a smile on my face. "Promise."

He didn't look convinced but he didn't push the matter any further. "Just let me know if you need anything," he said finally, walking back to the main room of the bar.

I bit my lip and chanced a look at the mirror in my locker, regretting my choice immediately. I looked bad. I didn't have time to put any makeup on before I left the apartment and my usually tan skin looked pale and pasty. I lightly touched my eyelids wincing at how swollen they were today from the crying I woke up to.

They had started a couple days ago, the nightmares. For the past nights I've had a reoccurring nightmare starring that bastard, Jacob. It had been the day he dumped me replaying over and over again until today. This time Edward was featured in it too. He was standing off to the side almost as if he was watching the whole scene play out. Once after Jacob had slammed the door behind him as he left the apartment, I remember looking right at Edward. The look on his face was one I never wanted to see in real life. It was a mixture of disgust and anger as his eyes up and down-ed me. I remember glancing down at myself and feeling surprised that my eyes met with the slimmer figure I had currently and not the heavy one I carried months ago. I had looked back up at him and he just shook his head at me. He stepped towards the door and before leaving he looked back and said, "Even now, no one wants you, Bella," coolly before walking out the door. I woke up to a soaked pillow feeling defeated and doubtful.

"You shouldn't get your hopes up," I now said to my reflection before the closing my locker door. I picked up my serving tray and put a smile on my face before exiting the bar. I couldn't let a stupid dream affect my work- I'd worry about it later.

The rest of my shift went by smoothly. Much to my surprise there was no throw up that needed to be cleaned, no drinks were spilled, and I was actually getting a decent amount in tips tonight.

I walked back to the bar laughing as I tucked my notepad back into my shorts pocket. "Hey, Jazz can I get another dirty martini for the over there?" I still hadn't looked up to face him while I quickly tucked away the tip the man had just given me between my cleavage. Unfortunately I wasn't quick enough.

"Um…" my head quickly shot up at the smooth voice that came from behind the counter. My eyes widened as they locked with Edwards' emerald ones. They trailed slowly up from my chest to meet with my own before he quirked an eyebrow at me. "No pockets?" he asked, trying not to laugh.

I felt my face flame up. "I, uh-" I laughed nervously. "It's just easier."

He busted out laughing and just shook his head at me as he pulled a martini glass out from one of the shelves under the counter. "Hey, whatever works for you, Bella."

"Hey," I said defensively, finally feeling the color drain from my face. "If you had the tools, you'd probably do the same thing."

He nodded in agreement. "This is true," he narrowed his eyes at me. "Wow, I'm actually kind of jealous." He started mixing up the martini. "So I take it you're feeling better now?"

Fuck. I rested by elbows on the bar and let my head fall, my hair creating a curtain around me and groaned. "I told Jasper I was fine," I flipped my hair back out of my face.

Edward shrugged as he poured the contents of his shaker into the glass. "He just told me you looked a little low before he left," He placed a napkin on my tray before putting the glass on top of it. "Told me to look out for you."

I lifted the tray and balanced it on the palm of my right hand. "Not necessary," I smiled at him. "You don't have to keep an eye on me."

I turned around to head towards Dirty Martini Man just as I heard Edward mumble something behind me. I didn't think much of it and just proceeded.

"Here you are," I said as I approached his table. He was in the middle of chatting with his date that he hadn't even noticed I approached their table. I didn't say anything else, not wanting to interrupt them or annoy them. I picked up the glass by the neck and gingerly placed it in front of him. I was about to place the napkin along with it when I noticed something scribbled on it. I rolled my eyes as I read the words "You're beautiful" and tucked it in my back pocket. That would've gotten me into a lot of trouble if the guys date thought I was trying to fancy her man.

"I think you put this napkin on the wrong tray, "I said as I approached Edward at the bar. His back was to me as he arranged a few of the liquor bottles that were displayed behind the bar. "The guy already has a date."

"The napkin wasn't for him," Edward said, clinking a couple of the bottles together while he moved them.

I blinked a couple times. What the hell? "What?"

He turned around to face me and put his hands on the counter. "It was for you," he said simply.

I just blinked again, making sure I heard him clearly. "Why?"

He just shrugged at me. "I just felt like you should know," he paused. "That and it's true."

The smile that spread on my face went away just as quickly as it came when a low voice spoke from behind me.

"Well hello, gorgeous."

Fuck.

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><p><strong>Dun dun DUN. <strong>

**Until next time!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello my friends! I think it's time for a short update. Not the best, I know, but still.**

**Hope you enjoy!**

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><p><strong>BPOV<strong>

"_Well hello, gorgeous."_

_Fuck._

My back stiffened reflexively, the change in my posture immediately worrying Edward. I knew that voice- the low timbre in it. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before slowly turning to face the man. I should've expected this to happen eventually- I had to get it over with.

I was finally face to face with Jacob. His style and cockiness had remained the same since I had last seen him. His short black hair was slicked back and styled and he wore a black Ralph Lauren polo that hugged his muscles. I crossed my arms at the smug bastard and watched as his eyes traveled up me body, the grin he had on his face not fading away until his eyes locked with mine.

"Bells?" he asked in disbelief, his smooth demeanor clearly gone and replaced with shock. "Holy…"

"Hi, Jacob," I said flatly, hardly recognizing the voice that came from my mouth. The voice was calm yet cold…it wasn't shaky like I had expected it to be. It was stronger. Suddenly, something clicked inside me. I was tired. I was tired of letting his shadow haunt me and keep me from being happy. I wasn't going to crumple up and cry after this- I was done.

His look of shock slowly transformed back into a smug grin. "Well look at that, you finally got your shit together." He said, taking a sip of his Jack and Coke. "'Bout time."

I smiled. "Trust me, things got a lot better after it ended, Jacob." I reminded myself that Edward was behind me. "I promise."

Jacob blinked at me before laughing. "With how you were begging me not to go that night? I don't think so."

I shrugged. "Everyone makes mistakes. Mine just happened to be one that was 3 years long."

That one bugged him. He narrowed his eyes at my new found confidence. "You're a feisty one now, Bells. I must say I am impressed," he paused, giving me a once over. "More impressed by your body though."

I snorted. "Of course you are. You're even shallower than a shower."

Jacob continued, undeterred by my comment. "If you'd been this skinny when we were together I would've fucked you a lot more," he chuckled and took a sip of his drink. "I could make up for that tonight if you want."

I narrowed my eyes at him and opened my mouth to say something back but I was interrupted.

"I think it's time that you leave," Edward said lowly from behind me. The tone in his voice was one I'd never heard from him. It was dark, threatening. The anger behind it was controlled.

Jacob raised his eyebrows at Edward. "This isn't any of your business-"

"It is when you're harassing my employees." Edward said, cutting him off. "Leave."

Jacob put his hands up in surrender. "Whatever you say, Boss. This bar sucks anyways," Jacob said before making his way to the exit. "See ya round, Princess!"

I pinched the bridge of my nose and exhaled sharply before turning to face Edward. "I'm so sorry about that."

"Are you alright?" He asked, ignoring my question. "I probably should've intervened sooner."

I waved him off. "No, yeah I'm fine." I laughed. "It's good you didn't. I needed to take care of it."

Edward just nodded. "Was that…?"

"Yeah that was him," I sighed. "Alice told you right?"

"Yeah. She thought it was necessary before anything else happened."

I raised an eyebrow. "Anything else?"

Edward just looked at me before he started laughing. "What?" I demanded, throwing his rag at him.

"It's not bad!" He laughed. "It's just…wow this wasn't supposed to happen this way."

"Edward what the hell are you talking about?" I was getting annoyed now. I always felt as if everyone knew something I didn't and no one would clue me in- ever.

He shook his head and just looked at me. "You're cute when you're irritated."

I scoffed. "It's not gonna be cute if you don't hurry up and tell me!" I picked up the rag and started hitting him with it.

"Okay, okay!" I stopped hitting him. He shook his head and smiled. "Bella, when I told you you were beautiful, I meant it. Still mean it, actually." I watched in disbelief as his cheeks turned pinker than they were. "I was wondering if you'd want to see a movie with me, or maybe dinner..." He trailed off.

"Ow!" I exclaimed.

"Did you just pinch yourself?"

"What?" Of course I did. "Or course I didn't!"

Edward pressed his lips together as he tried suppressing his laughter. I just rolled my eyes at him. "Yes."

"Yes you pinched yourself?"

He jerked back when I pinched his arm. "No, I'm saying yes to the date, Edward."

"Are you being sarcastic?"

I just looked at him. "Edward."

He put his hands up defensively. "Sometimes I can't tell!"

"Do you want me to change my mind?" I asked, mentally pleading that he wouldn't agree with that.

"So you're saying yes to the date?"

"Yes!" I laughed.

He smiled. "Alright, it's a date."

I just rolled my eyes before picking up my tray. What was I getting myself into?

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><p><strong>I thought it was kind of cute haha. Until next time!<strong>


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